David Bowie documentary with thousands of hours of rare footage in the works

A new David Bowie documentary is reportedly in the works which will see a hoard of renowned collaborators bringing “thousands of hours” of unseen footage of the late musician to life.

The new film – which has been authorised by Bowie’s estate – is being created by Emmy award-winning director Brett Morgen, who is known for his acclaimed work on the 2015 Kurt Cobain documentary Montage Of Heck.

According to Variety, the US director has collated “thousands of hours of rare performance footage of the musician, most of it previously uncirculated”, and has been working on the film for the past four years.

Working alongside Morgen – who will be editing, writing and taking on producing duties on top of directing – is long-time Bowie music producer Tony Visconti and the Oscar-winning sound team behind the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. 

Members of Bowie’s estate are insistent that a biopic made in the style of Bohemian Rhapsody will not be made about the late rocker. Earlier this month, his widow Iman said: “People say things like, ‘Your love story should be made into a movie.’ Oh, dear God, no! It’s just so private. Also, it’s a family decision. It’s always a no. We always ask each other, ‘Would he do it?’ He wouldn’t. We want to honour his decision.”

A source close to the project has described it as “neither documentary nor biography but an immersive cinematic experience.”

There is no official release for the project as of yet, but Morgen is reportedly looking at an IMAX release and a Sundance premiere in late January, coinciding with the six-year anniversary of Bowie’s death.

Source: loudersound.com